Gallatin High Update

Hello GHS students and parents/guardians:

Here are a few reminders as we get closer to the start of school. You can find our new bell schedule at this link. An overview of the blue/black days block schedule for the year can be found here. Remember that every Wednesday is a late start day for students. Classes begin at 9:35 a.m. on Wednesdays. Buses will run at the normal times on Wednesdays, meaning that students who ride the bus will arrive before 8:25 a.m. Students are welcome to spend time in the Commons before school begins on Wednesdays.

We are placing an emphasis on building safety this year and that includes our parking lots. In order to alleviate congestion and make it safer for our students to park and walk to class, please only use the eastern parking lot and Annie Street for student drop off.

Juniors and Seniors who requested a parking pass will receive information this week about when and where to pick up their passes. Student parking is only allowed in the blue areas below, the southeastern and southwestern parking lots, as well as along Annie Street.

Thank you for your help in keeping our students safe!

The GHS PAC supports our student community in many ways. Homecoming is early this year (September 9-14) and the PAC needs parents to help out with brining cookies and snacks as well as volunteering to chaperone. If you can help with Homecoming, please use this link to sign up.

PAC is starting the year off with a Give Butter campaign this year for the PAC General Fund. These funds are used throughout the year for testing snacks, sponsoring school projects, scholarships from Bozeman School Foundation, senior launch, and other PAC activities. If you are able to make a donation, please use this link.

If you are interested in joining the PAC, please come to a meeting. Meetings are held the third Tuesday of every month. You can also contact the PAC at gallatinhighpac@gmail.com

All BSD7 students will have a Chromebook checked out to them. Students who attended a BSD7 middle school or Gallatin High last school year should already have a Chromebook. Students who are new to Gallatin High should stop by the library to pick up their Chromebook during the first week of school.

Our attendance policy has changed to align with our new alternating block schedule. Each class is now eighty minutes and will meet every other day. Each class will meet approximately half the number of times per semester as in previous years. Our updated attendance policy will now allow for a student to be absent up to six times in any given class. Please remember that high school absences are counted by class, by period.

The six-day absence limit is relegated to excused and unexcused absences. I encourage you to read our entire attendance policy here in the high school student/parent handbook.

We recognize that sometimes students may need to be absent for any number of compelling reasons. The expectations in our attendance policy are outlined both to confirm our expectation that students are in school every day and also to allow grace for students and families when absences happen. The absence limit is intended to provide boundaries and to initiate support for students who are struggling with attendance. Please know that we do not expect or want students to attend school when they are sick. If students are not well, they should stay home.

We will work with families who have concerns. We can collaborate on solutions to best meet the needs of students and families. If students have incurred a number of absences in any given class during a semester and are concerned about next steps, the student and/or family should contact Nate Laslovich, our dean of students, at nate.laslovich@bsd7.org. You may also contact a student's assigned assistant principal, Mr. Randy VanDyk (last names A-K) or Mrs. Katie Laslovich (last names L-Z) at 406-522-4603.

Student schedules can be viewed in PowerSchool.

Instructions for accessing schedules:

• Log in to PowerSchool
• Click on Grades and Attendance on the left side

Schedule Change Requests:

Our goal is to have all students attend all of their classes on the first day of school. Counselors will not be making schedule changes on the first day of school, unless it is to drop a class for a study hall.

Attention Parents:

If you haven’t already done so, please go on to your PowerSchool account and fill out the Annual Forms (formerly known as All-In-One forms). These forms are mandatory and need to be done every year for each child.

To access the forms:

• Log into Powerschool
• On the left menu select "Forms"
• A list of forms will appear.
• If you do not see the list of forms in Powerschool, you may need to select the "General Forms" tab.

Monday, August 26

• Golf at the Billings Invite

Tuesday, August 27

• Golf at the Billings Invite

Wednesday, August 28

• Teachers return to school
• Schedule Review for Seniors only, 1:00-3:00 p.m. This day is only for errors in schedules.

Thursday, August 29

• Schedule Review for grades 9-11, 1:00-3:00 p.m. This day is only for errors in schedules.
• Boys Soccer at Belgrade, 3pm
• Girls Soccer at Belgrade, 5pm

Friday, August 30

• Football home opener vs. Helena Capital, 7pm

Saturday, August 31

• Boys Soccer vs. Billings Skyview, 12pm
• Girls Soccer vs. Billings Skyview, 2pm
• Volleyball in Missoula
• Girls Soccer at Belgrade, 5pm

Breakfast and Lunch Menus

Online Meal Benefits Application Paper Applications will also be available from the cashiers

BSD7 Food Service Webpage

Online Meal Account Payments

Donations for Negative Meal Accounts

We are aware that parking on campus is inadequate and frustrating to students. We have several plans in motion to help alleviate parking pressure. We encourage students to car pool with friends and family members or use alternate transportation when weather allows.

This year only juniors and seniors will be allowed to park on campus in student lots and parking passes will be required to park on campus. Juniors and Seniors may request a parking pass by completing this form. All students receiving a parking pass must also print and complete this parking contract. Parking passes will be distributed closer to the first day of school. More information will be communicated to those who sign up for a pass through the form linked above. Students must complete the parking pass form when signed in to their school email account. It is important to note that a parking pass does not guarantee a specific parking spot and students will still need to arrive early to park on campus.

Sophomores and freshmen are encouraged to car pool with friends and family. Additional parking can be found on Annie Street and on surrounding streets. We are working on an additional parking location and will provide more details as soon as we are able.

Please see below for the counseling department’s alphabetical breakdown for the 2023-24 school year.

Last Name A - D: Drew Miller

Last Name E - K: Olivia Sullivan

Last Name L - R: Laura Jantzen

Last Name S - Z: Tricia Williamson

• Mrs. Williamson will be on leave to start the school year. We will contact you with information about who to contact before school starts.

Universal Athletics has a new website where you can order all kinds of Raptor gear with a variety of logos. Please click here to check out the options and place an order.

Lockers are optional for GHS students. Students, if you are interested in using a locker this year, please complete this form. The form must be completed from a student school email account.

Do Not Fill Out This Form if you signed up for a locker last year as you will use the same locker and combination this year.

Locker numbers and combinations will be uploaded into PowerSchool before school starts. Students can find their locker number and combination in PowerSchool by clicking on Forms and selecting "Locker Information".

If you have a locker assigned to you but no longer need it, please complete the form and indicate you no longer need your locker.

If you do not request a locker now and decide you’d like one in the future, please come to the main office and we will be happy to check one out to you.

Students, please click here to request a locker.

In this Title I school, parents have the right to request certain information on the professional qualifications of the student’s classroom teachers and paraprofessionals providing services. If you have any questions, please reach out to principal, Erica Schnee.

First Day Of School - Tuesday, September 3

• Freshman Orientation will be held from 8:25 a.m.-12:05 p.m.
• All students will attend school from 12:50 p.m.-3:35 p.m.
• School Pictures - Tuesday, September 3, all day. Retakes are September 24th
  

Homecoming Week - September 9-14

• Friday, September 13 - Football game
• Saturday, September 14 - Dance

Back To School Night - Thursday, September 26 @ 6:30 pm

Thanksgiving Break – November 27-29

Winter Break – December 23, 2024 - January 3, 2025

Spring Break – March 17-21

Prom – Saturday, May 3

Graduation – Saturday, June 7, 10:00 a.m.

Last Day of School – June 12

Parent support is an important part of the GHS community and student success. Thank you to all parents and guardians who have volunteered, raised funds, and organized to support our students over the years. We would not be successful in academics or activities without the support of our parent community. Please consider joining at least one of the following organizations.

GHS Parent Advisory Council

The GHS PAC is excited to welcome new members this school year. Please contact President, Mandy Kirkwood or another officer if you are interested in joining the PAC.

• President, Mandy Kirkwood, platinumfc@icloud.com
• Vice President, Carey Levin
• Treasurer, Katherine Reich
• Secretary, Tami Niemeyer

AfterProm

Please contact Jodi Murray if you are interested in helping out with this fun event!

Jodi's email: aboutfamilies@yahoo.com

GHS Booster Club

You can join the Raptor Boosters by clicking here.

Project Connect

Do you have some time in your day and an interest in making Gallatin High a more welcoming place for students? Consider volunteering with Project Connect. You can sign up to volunteer at GHS here or contact Project Coordinator, Ashley Crane at 406-580-7760 or gallatinhighprojectconnect@gmail.com

The following info can be found at our GHS Web Page:

• BSD7 Calendar
• GHS Bell Schedule
• GHS Phone Directory

Follow us on social media:

• Facebook - Gallatin Raptors
• Instagram @gallatinraptors
• Twitter @gallatinraptors